San Jose Police Chief Announces Retirement

After 30 years with the department, San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel announced his retirement Wednesday. Assistant Chief Eddie Garcia will be appointed interim chief on Jan. 16, 2016. Robert Handa reports.

SJ Police Chief Tackles Murder Suspect Who Tried To Escape

San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel tackled a murder suspect to the ground Monday morning on the way to a staff meeting. Bob Redell reports.

(Published Tuesday, April 21, 2015)

"Meeting the family that morning, that was extremely difficult knowing we had lost a fellow officer in that manner," Esquivel said.

His advice for the next chief?

"Not only stay the course, but make things better by enhancing what we have," Esquivel said. "And there'll be other programs that he and our men and women are going to do for the organization and partnerships with the community to make us more efficient and effective."

And he still visits the family members of every homicide victim, to assure them that his men and women will do all they can to catch the killers.

"They are part of our community and sometimes...It's reported about homicide No. 20 or 21, and I don't want them to think of themselves, their families, their deceased as just a number," Esquivel said.